Subsection 2: Nationals of a Member State of the European Union or of another State party to the Agreement on the European Economic Area wishing to settle in France

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R212-88R212-89R212-89-1R212-90R212-90-1R212-90-2R212-91

Article R212-90

French Sports CodeIn force
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Updated 8 Nov 2023

Any national of a Member State of the European Union or of another State party to the Agreement on the European Economic Area who is in one of the following situations is deemed to satisfy the qualification requirement for exercising all or some of the activities referred to in Article L. 212-1, any national of a Member State of the European Union or of another State party to the Agreement on the European Economic Area who is in one of the following situations:

1° Hold an attestation of competence or evidence of formal qualifications required by a Member State of the European Union or another State party to the Agreement on the European Economic Area in which access to or practice of the activity is regulated and issued by a competent authority in that State;

2° provide proof of having practised the activity, in a Member State of the European Union or another State party to the Agreement on the European Economic Area which does not regulate the taking up or pursuit of the activity, on a full-time basis for one year or on a part-time basis for an equivalent total period, during the previous ten years and hold one or more attestations of competence or one or more training certificates issued by the competent authority of one of these States, attesting to preparation for the exercise of the activity for all or some of the activities mentioned in Article L. 212-1;

3° Hold evidence of formal qualifications issued by the competent authority of a Member State of the European Union or of another State party to the Agreement on the European Economic Area which does not regulate access to or practice of the activity, attesting to regulated training specifically aimed at the practice of all or some of the activities in the functions mentioned in Article L. 212-1 and consisting of a course of study supplemented, where appropriate, by professional training, a work placement or professional practice;

4° Be the holder of evidence of formal qualifications acquired in a third country and accepted as equivalent in a Member State of the European Union or another State party to the Agreement on the European Economic Area which regulates access to or practice of the activity, and provide evidence of having practised the activity for at least two years in that State.

Mariela Petrova

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Common Questions

Working with a corporate lawyer in France — Q&A

Any time a strategic decision changes how the company is owned, governed or contractually bound — incorporation, fundraising, M&A, restructuring, shareholder agreements, or major commercial contracts. Earlier engagement always costs less than later remediation.

A notary (notaire) is a public officer who authenticates specific deeds (mainly real-estate transfers and certain family-law acts). A corporate lawyer (avocat) advises on strategy, negotiates and drafts company documents, and represents you in disputes. The two roles complement rather than overlap.

Yes — most of our clients are foreign suppliers, investors or holding entities. We bridge the gap between French law and your home jurisdiction's expectations and deliver everything bilingually.

The SAS (Société par Actions Simplifiée) is the default choice for most international structures: flexible governance, single shareholder allowed, no minimum capital, and works cleanly with foreign holding entities. We assess SARL, SA, SCI on the merits when the situation calls for it.

Yes — communications with a French avocat are protected by the secret professionnel (Article 66-5 of the Law of 31 December 1971). This protection is broader than the common-law attorney-client privilege and applies to written and oral exchanges.

We work on fixed fees for clearly scoped engagements (incorporation, contract drafting, audits) and on monthly retainers for ongoing advisory. Hourly billing is the exception, not the default. You always know the cost before work starts.

Typical timeline is 2–3 weeks from KYC kick-off to RCS registration, assuming standard documentation. Holding-company structures, foreign-shareholder identification or in-kind contributions can extend this — we flag the gating items at the first meeting.

Absolutely. We routinely coordinate with your in-house counsel, expert-comptable or notaire — pragmatic collaboration is the norm, not the exception. We send them everything they need to do their part without duplicating work.

Mariela Petrova

Mariela Petrova

Avocate au Barreau de Paris

Toque #C2396

15+ Years In Corporate Practice

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Communications protected by professional secrecy — secret professionnel de l'avocat, Article 66-5 of the Law of 31 December 1971.

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